


The Protagonist Of My World

by SpaceJammie



Series: Oddly Specific BokuAka Post Canon AU [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Akaashi Keiji & Kozume Kenma Friendship, Body Worship, Bokuaka - Freeform, Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou are Bros, Canon Compliant, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Intimacy, KuroKen - Freeform, M/M, Oddly Specific Fic For My Oddly Specific Interests, Post-Canon, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, bokuaka supremacy, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:48:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27108238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceJammie/pseuds/SpaceJammie
Summary: Akaashi loves to find little ways to take care of Bokuto.He may keep a list of Bokuto's weaknesses, but he also has a list of ways to care for the man he loves.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Series: Oddly Specific BokuAka Post Canon AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1980811
Comments: 24
Kudos: 254





	1. He Is Still My World

Akaashi was standing in his kitchen wearing an apron that said ‘I’ll Owl-ways Love You’ across the front; it had been a gift from his husband, Bokuto. Akaashi was right in the middle of preparing a midmorning breakfast, and the pleasant aroma of coffee had filled his small one bedroom apartment. There was a strong scent from various seasonings wafted up from the scrambled eggs; the garlic and onion was especially fragrant. In another pan, there was sizzling bacon that was nearly finished. It all made his stomach growl. 

Akaashi had been up late finishing some editing work for an important deadline that was coming up in just a couple days. His husband, Bokuto, had stayed up late as well. The owlish haired man had been texting with Kuroo and having fits of giggles; it had been more than mildly disruptive to Akaashi, which caused it to take longer for him to finish his work. It was a nightly occurrence and had been for as long as he could remember. Usually, he didn’t mind the noise; it was rare that he ever took work home with him. 

But because of his late bedtime the previous night, he had decided to let himself sleep in for once. And thanks to that, breakfast was now happening at nearly ten o’clock instead of the usual half past six. The amount of food he was making probably seemed like too much for just two people. In total, it was a dozen eggs, eight slices of bacon, plus two whole avocados and four slices of toast. But Bokuto always had a big appetite in the mornings. And Akaashi still exercised frequently enough to have a ferocious appetite as well. 

When it came down to it, Bokuto was a less than average cook. Akaashi used to struggle with cooking as well, but he had taken several food preparation classes during college. And the smile on Bokuto's face whenever he tried Akaashi's cooking made all the time and effort worth it. He loved to make food for Bokuto. It was one of the many little ways in which Akaashi liked to show his love for Bokuto. The long list of  _ 'Bokuto's weaknesses' _ in his mind was accompanied by an equally long list of  _ 'how to keep Bokuto well cared for.' _ And Akaashi always made good use of both his mental lists. 

Right as Akaashi was putting the food onto two plates, Bokuto sleepily walked into the kitchen. He kissed the side of Akaashi's forehead as he passed him and then silently poured himself a cup of coffee. Akaashi could tell something was off just by where Bokuto had kissed him and how short the kiss was. Mornings were usually a long kiss on the mouth, or a tender string of kisses on the side of his neck if he was still cooking when Bokuto came into the kitchen. 

Akaashi glanced over at Bokuto, doing a quick assessment of the man he loved. Bokuto had bags under his eyes, meaning he probably didn't fall asleep when the two of them turned out the lights for the night. He was rubbing the back of one shoulder with the hand not holding his coffee cup, seemingly not able to reach the spot he wanted. He had a pout on his face and a general slump to his demeanor. He shuffled his feet as he walked towards the table. 

Bokuto was in pain and didn't sleep well, Akaashi concluded. More investigation was needed so that he could find out what approach to take in helping Bokuto. "Is your shoulder bothering you, Kou?"

Bokuto looked at Akaashi as he slid into his seat at the table. "Yeah. I hit a spike kind of weird yesterday at practice, and I think I pulled a muscle or something. Hinata and I had been competing a bit to see who could hit harder. That’s when I think it happened. My shoulder bothered me all night once I laid down, so I couldn't really sleep."

Akaashi hummed as he set Bokuto's plate in front of him. Then he glanced at the clock to check the time; they still had a little over an hour and a half before Kuroo and Kenma came to carpool for their double date. He reached out and brushed Bokuto's cheek gently with his hand, letting his thumb slide across one of the dark circles beneath those tired golden eyes. Akaashi decided that more sleep probably wasn't going to fit in right now. Bokuto wouldn't want to cancel on Kuroo and Kenma, and he likely wouldn't be able to nap while in pain. 

So lessening the pain was the first course of action. "Why don't you eat your breakfast and then see if a hot shower helps? And let's put an ice pack on while you're eating. I'll grab you some ibuprofen."

Bokuto let out a quiet groan before he sipped more coffee. Akaashi brought over the pain medication and an ice pack wrapped in a towel; he then tucked the ice pack into Bokuto's tight shirt. Bokuto took the pills from him and took them with his coffee. Akaashi sat down at the table to eat his own breakfast as he watched Bokuto. 

As Bokuto worked on the food in front of him, his mood started to brighten. "You make the best food, Keiji. You're a hundred and twenty percent husband material."

Akaashi chuckled dryly and let a playful smile rest on his lips. "Is that the only reason you married me? I'm sure glad I took those weekend cooking classes."

Bokuto's mouth was full, so he shook his head in dramatic denial until he could finish chewing. Finally, he swallowed his food and practically yelled. "No! I married you because you're the best person I know! And the perfect person for me, specifically!”

“You’re the perfect person for me, as well,” Akaashi replied tenderly. He loved the way Bokuto gave verbal affirmations so freely; it was something that made him feel loved and appreciated.

After another bite of food, Bokuto glanced at Akaashi with a playful smile. “So, when are you gonna finally change your last name to mine?"

Akaashi took another bite of his breakfast before he replied. The topic was a bit of a running joke between them, because it had been Bokuto who insisted that Akaashi keep his last name; the reasoning was that he loved the way it sounded when he said it. And now it would be a hassle for it to be changed, even though they decided it would be nice to do so eventually. "It's on my list of things to do."

“No matter what your last name was, I’d still think that you have the most beautiful name in the world. Because you’re beautiful,” Bokuto said with a grin.

Akaashi blushed at the compliment and gave a warm smile. Bokuto could be very blunt, and sometimes it resulted in him saying incredibly sweet things. It made Akaashi's heart swell with happiness. Bokuto was his world, and his sun, and his stars. Bokuto was everything to him. Akaashi didn't get to shine on the court with him anymore, but he still orbited around him. 

He decided to give Bokuto an ego boost. It would help him feel more cheerful, and Akaashi was feeling particularly soft hearted this morning. "You know, you're the very best volleyball player. And the most skilled ace."

Bokuto grinned in delight and sat up tall with a wiggle, which made the ice pack fall out of his shirt. He reached up and rubbed his hurt shoulder before he went to pick up the ice pack. He was now practically glowing from Akaashi’s praise. "I am pretty good, huh? And it all started with your tosses back in high school. Thanks for always supporting me, Keiji."

Akaashi gave Bokuto a soft smile. He loved that Bokuto gave him so much recognition, and with such sincerity. Bokuto had said something similar in an interview for a magazine, crediting Akaashi's for his success in volleyball. Akaashi still had that magazine; he kept a lot of things relating to Bokuto out of sentimentality, including all the love notes Bokuto gave him in high school. 

After a short time, Akaashi was almost finished with his breakfast. He slid his feet under the table and caught one of Bokuto's feet between his, holding it with his ankles. Bokuto grinned at the contact and brought his other foot next to one of Akaashi's ankles, returning the foot hug enthusiastically. Then he grabbed his last avocado half with his chopsticks and ate it in three big bites. 

After he stood up from the table, Bokuto took his plate to the sink and rinsed it off. Then he came over to Akaashi and gave him a deep, long kiss on the lips. Akaashi smiled into the kiss, happy that he was able to brighten Bokuto's mood up so much with just food and words of affirmation. He had originally put  _ 'highly dependent on praise'  _ on Bokuto's weaknesses list, but he decided it was better to have it on the  _ 'how to keep Bokuto well cared for' _ list. Except, on that list it was called  _ 'give frequent words of encouragement.' _

Bokuto kissed Akaashi for another moment, then pulled back and gave his widest grin. "I'm gonna go shower really quick!"

Akaashi gave Bokuto a tender smile as he watched him walk down the hallway. "Don't forget to let hot water run over your shoulder for a while," he called out as Bokuto went into the bathroom. 

While Akaashi washed up the breakfast dishes, he thought more about Bokuto's shoulder. If there was a tense spot, it wouldn't be good for him to practice tomorrow. Overworking a strain could make it worse. But Bokuto would sulk if he didn't get to go to practice and burn off his energy in the morning. And then he would text Akaashi all day long, which would interrupt him while he worked. With more important deadlines coming up, Akaashi needed to be able to focus while at work. 

He thought it over thoroughly and came to a conclusion; there was something he could do for Bokuto, and that was to massage the sore muscles. That had worked in the past to relieve the pain from strains in Bokuto's neck and shoulders. He nodded to himself as he got a bottle of massage oil out and put it on the coffee table in the living room. He enjoyed giving Bokuto massages as much as Bokuto liked getting them. It always made them feel more emotionally connected, and Akaashi not so secretly enjoyed rubbing oil all over his well muscled husband. 

When Bokuto came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, Akaashi was standing outside the door waiting while leaning against the wall. He grabbed the towel and tugged it off of Bokuto's hips, giving the surprised man a wink before he took the towel to the living room and laid it across the floor. "Come lay down, Kou. I'm going to give you a massage."

Bokuto hopped with excitement and hurried over to lay down on the towel. Akaashi glanced over the naked body of his husband and allowed himself a feeling of pride. Bokuto's body was his to love and his to care for, just like he cared for Bokuto's heart and mind. After rolling up the sleeves of his pajamas, Akaashi got some oil on his hands. He knelt beside Bokuto and rubbed the oil between his palms to warm it. Then he started making firm circles on Bokuto's skin with his fingertips, starting at his neck. 

Bokuto sighed happily and let out a little wiggle with both his feet. Akaashi grinned while he continued to press along Bokuto's neck and the tops of his shoulders. The oil made his fingers glide smoothly over the strong muscles there. Akaashi made sure not to neglect anywhere, careful to press over every area along Bokuto's strong neck and broad shoulders.

Every now and then, Bokuto let out a small moan. He always melted under Akaashi's touch and became very relaxed. After giving proper focus to Bokuto's neck, Akaashi moved his hands to the back of Bokuto's shoulders. He carefully worked his fingers along the defined muscles of Bokuto's upper back. He knew he hit the sore spot when he heard a small whimper from his husband. "Is this the main spot that hurts?"

Bokuto nodded as Akaashi softly pressed the area where his shoulder blade was. Akaashi focused on that spot for several minutes; he was gentle but firm as he alternated between pressing with the flat of his palms and the tops of his knuckles, gliding along each muscle group.

Bokuto continued to let out small groans, both from pain and pleasure, as Akaashi worked over the sore spot. It was as soothing for Akaashi as it was for Bokuto to work through a knot in the muscles. He was methodical as he went on to make sure he worked the entirety of Bokuto's upper back, not just the sore spot. After glancing at the clock on the wall, Akaashi saw that they still had about fifty minutes before Kuroo and Kenma would arrive. He decided he could massage more of Bokuto's body while still having time to shower and get ready. 

Bokuto had relaxed quite a bit already. Akaashi hoped the man would end up getting a short nap in, as that would be ideal. Even twenty minutes of rest was better than nothing. He put more oil on his hands and moved to massage down Bokuto's lower back, pressing firm circles with his closed fists. He worked his thumbs up and down the full length of Bokuto's spin, then pressed his palms along the top and sides of his husband’s hips. 

Bokuto's appreciative moans spurred Akaashi on, and he used the flat of his palms to massage over Bokuto's firm butt. He almost giggled to himself, because he really did love touching his husband's shapely rear. A sleepy mumble came from Bokuto just then. "You're just playing with my ass now."

Akaashi chuckled and answered shamelessly. "Maybe I am, I like it a lot." He playfully grabbed Bokuto's butt a few times before he slowly massaged all the way down to Bokuto's thighs, rubbing along them with the sides of his open hands. He then moved to Bokuto's calves, being gentle as he used his fingers to run up and down the muscles. He knew Bokuto was often sore in his legs from intense volleyball training.

When Akaashi realized Bokuto had been quiet for a few minutes, he crawled up near the naked man's head and looked at his face. Bokuto was asleep with a content smile on his lips. Akaashi stared at Bokuto's sleeping face for a moment. He loved how peaceful he looked. And he was glad that he could help make Bokuto so relaxed and happy. 

Akaashi glanced at the clock again and saw that he still had about twenty minutes to shower. He stood up and tossed a blanket over Bokuto's bare butt, because Kuroo and Kenma might just let themselves in if they got there early. Then he walked to the bathroom for a shower. 

As it turned out, Akaashi started the water and stepped into the shower right as there was a knock at the front door. Bokuto was fast enough asleep that he didn't wake up to the sound, and Akaashi wouldn't have gone to answer it even if he had heard it, since he was already undressed. 

After a couple minutes and another knock, Kuroo let himself and Kenma inside with his spare key. He looked around and saw Bokuto asleep on the floor; Bokuto was naked except for the blanket that barely covered his butt. Kuroo laughed and nudged Kenma gently until he looked up from his phone and grimaced. "How many more times will I have to see Bokuto naked?"

With a hum, Kuroo scratched his chin. "More times than never again, probably. But you can see me naked all the time, forever. Should I start napping naked on our living room floor?"

"Please don't," Kenma said dryly as he averted his eyes from Bokuto. He went to sit on a chair at the table to give full focus to his phone and try to clear the image of Bokuto out of his brain. 

Kuroo walked over to stand near Bokuto, putting his hands on his hips as his eyes scanned over the sleeping man's body. "Damn, Bokuto’s been working out a lot, and it really shows. I wonder if he has better abs than me now. Oi, wake up, Bo! Flip over and show me your stomach."

As Kuroo gently nudged Bokuto with his foot, Kenma groaned and pulled the hood of his jacket over his head. He tightened the drawstrings so that all he could see was his phone through the small circle opening, since the fabric covered most of his face. 

Bokuto stirred and lifted his head to look up at Kuroo. He yawned and then gave Kuroo a sleepy smile. "Hey man. Oh yeah, we have our double date today."

Kuroo wasted no time and pulled off his shirt. "Let's compare our abs."

Bokuto laughed and stood up immediately, not bothering to cover himself at all. Fifteen minutes later, Akaashi was putting on his glasses and coming out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. That’s when he saw a naked Bokuto and a shirtless Kuroo, who were still poking and punching each other's abs as they flexed to compare their muscles. 

Ah, yes. There it was. The unclear boundaries of the bromance between the naked man he loved and the obnoxious man he had learned to tolerate. Bokuto's platonic love for Kuroo was probably close to how much the man romantically loved Akaashi, but it didn't bother Akaashi at all. 

It wasn’t a competition when it came to having Bokuto's love. He knew Bokuto was his, and only his, when it came down to the important things. And he also knew Bokuto needed someone to be silly and immature with. No one person can supply every type of interaction someone needs, after all. Akaashi was glad Bokuto had a person to let out his goofy energy with.

Now, Akaashi wished he could say this type of naked comparison game wasn't a common occurrence. But Bokuto and Kuroo had no sense of shame, and those lines of what's appropriate between friends often went ignored by them. With a chuckle and a shake of his head, Akaashi walked into the bedroom and got dressed. He brought clothes out with him for Bokuto as well. He walked up to the two obnoxious friends and put a hand on his hip while he held out the clothes towards his husband. "Get dressed, Kou. We don't want to miss the movie."

Kuroo turned to Akaashi and gave him a crooked smirk. "Wait! You be our judge because Kenma won't come look. Who has better abs?"

Akaashi gave Kuroo a slightly teasing smile, not even bothering to look at his abs. "My man does, obviously."

Kuroo scoffed and walked over to Kenma, giving a fake air of offense. "Kind of a biased judge, I’d say. Hey, babe, I need to hear that my abs look good."

"Your abs look good," Kenma said from inside his hood without looking at Kuroo, who was now playfully pouting at him.

Bokuto's ego had all but visibly inflated at Akaashi's compliment; he wrapped his husband into a tight hug while giving a beaming smile. Meanwhile, Akaashi still held the clothes for Bokuto in one hand. "Koutarou. Put underwear on, at least. Kenma’s uncomfortable seeing you naked."

Bokuto let Akaashi go and took the clothes, quickly putting them on. Then he went over to Kuroo and punched his friend’s stomach lightly a few times. "Second place ain't bad, bro!" 

uroo grabbed Bokuto in a headlock and messed with Bokuto's still slightly damp hair. "Ha, you won't have time to do your hair at this rate!"

Before Bokuto could freak out and lock himself in the bathroom to gel his hair for twenty minutes, which would make them late, Akaashi went to grab his car keys. "Let's hurry and go or we might not have time to get popcorn. First one to the car gets to ride shotgun, and I'll pay for their drink."

Bokuto and Kuroo separated and looked at each other seriously. They couldn't resist a race, and Akaashi knew it. They dashed out of the apartment while desperately trying to beat each other to the car. In that same moment, Kenma stood up from the table and took his hood off his head. He gave Akaashi a nod of approval as they walked calmly together towards the front door. 

"Please excuse my husband's obnoxious naked behavior," Akaashi deadpanned. 

"No, excuse my husband for egging him on," Kenma replied wryly. 

They chuckled quietly together as they walked out towards the car. Akaashi had his hands full with Bokuto, but he wouldn't have it any other way. The man had been his ace, his boyfriend, and now his husband. They were still the protagonists of the world, side by side as they took on each new day. 


	2. And I Am His Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More fluff to soak into our souls. 
> 
> The song that fueled the energy I needed for this chapter was Follow Your Fire by Kodaline

The four men sat in the theater as the credits rolled. Kenma was sitting on Kuroo's left side and was looking a little flustered by Kuroo's loud crying. Bokuto was next to Kuroo, and was also crying. Meanwhile, Akaashi was at the end of the row; he was holding his crying husband's hand while stroking his thumb over the top to give comfort. 

"That was a good movie, but it really hurt my heart," Kuroo said as he wiped tears away.

It had been a romance movie with a sad ending. A mother, father and their child ended up in an accident. The father and child lived, but the mother had died. Bokuto and Kuroo were both a crying mess because of it. Kenma was very quiet, but his eyes were dry. While Akaashi had wiped a few tears away before the lights came back on, he had now focused his attention on Bokuto, who couldn't stop sobbing. 

Another of Bokuto's weaknesses: too much of an attachment to fictional characters and an incredibly strong reaction if one of them died. He once cried on and off for a whole week after the eighth episode of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

"It was just a movie, Kou. No one really died," Akaashi said softly as he gave Bokuto's hand a squeeze. 

Bokuto looked over at Akaashi, and then cried more. "The… person he loved… is gone forever!" He wailed as he pressed Akaashi's hand against his face.

Akaashi knew very well that Bokuto was going to be sad for the rest of the day thanks to the movie. Bokuto was probably over empathizing with the man who lost his wife in the movie. The personalities of the couple in the film had eerily matched Bokuto and Akaashi.

Kuroo was now crying silently with his face against Kenma's shoulder, and Kenma was allowing it for the moment despite the mess getting on his jacket. After a couple more minutes, he finally gave Kuroo a few gentle pats on the shoulder before moving to stand up. "I'm hungry,” he said calmly while giving Akaashi a certain look.

Akaashi looked up at Kenma and nodded. Comfort food would be a good way to distract both Bokuto and Kuroo; that had likely been Kenma's intention. They both were pretty conscious of how to care for their significant others. After clearing this throat, Akaashi looked over at Bokuto as he spoke. "Wouldn't some ramen be good right now, Bokuto-san?" 

Bokuto stopped crying for a moment and looked at Akaashi with a look of surprise and wonder. Akaashi had rather recently discovered another item for the _'how to keep Bokuto well cared for'_ list: Bokuto still secretly loved when Akaashi called him by last name and honorific, because it reminded him of high school and the early days of their relationship. Akaashi gave Bokuto a kiss on the forehead, then moved to stand. He tugged on Bokuto's hand to get him to stand too.

Bokuto stood slowly, but he was still very wilty. He hadn’t slept that long during the nap, or during the night before, after all. And he was now a tired Bokuto who was also a sad Bokuto. Akaashi hid the small grin that tried to slip over his lips as he looked at Bokuto's cute pouty face. While sometimes the intense pouting annoyed Akaashi, other times it felt rather endearing; and for whatever reason, this was one of those times. 

It was probably because Bokuto was this sad due to the fact that he loved Akaashi so much; consequently, a movie about losing a spouse was too much for him to bear. Bokuto almost certainly was putting himself into the shoes of the husband in the movie, and had probably pictured what it would be like if Akaashi was to be in an accident. It made Akaashi want to sit Bokuto back down and climb onto the man’s lap for snuggling that would be completely inappropriate for a public place. 

Instead, he pulled Bokuto into a tight hug; they squeezed each other for a long moment. Then Kuroo stood up and leaned against Bokuto's back to give a hug from there, and his arms wrapped around Akaashi as well. Akaashi's hands were trapped between Kuroo's stomach and Bokuto's back, which he found to be slightly annoying. 

Meanwhile, Kenma cleared his throat. "When you're all done making a scene, let's get going. There's a ramen place across the street."

Kuroo let go of Bokuto and turned around while reaching both his hands towards Kenma. "Can I carry you there? I want to be close to you."

With a frown and a blush, Kenma pushed one of Kuroo's hands away and held the other. "No. Holding my hand will have to be enough."

Kuroo gave a small playful smirk. "It'll be enough if I can have a kiss, too."

Kenma rolled his eyes, but stood up on his toes to give Kuroo a quick kiss; it was over in less than a second. When Kuroo was about to complain, Kenma spoke quickly to cut him off. "There will be more when we get home, but please don't embarrass me anymore."

Kuroo tilted his head and gave a goofy grin. "I'll be on my best behavior."

Akaashi listened to his friends from where he was still wrapped in Bokuto's arms. Kuroo was much easier to steer out of a mood than Bokuto was, Akaashi thought. But the challenge was half of the fun. While acting on impulse, Akaashi gave Bokuto a slow, deep kiss. He then pulled Bokuto's bottom lip into his mouth and ran his tongue along it. 

Bokuto's lips automatically responded to Akaashi’s, and they kissed each other for a long minute; eventually, Akaashi decided they'd had enough of the public affection for now. He broke the kiss and pulled out of Bokuto's arms. Then he moved to hold hands and pull Bokuto along behind him so that they could leave the theater. He was glad that Bokuto had a bit of a smile now, at least.

The four men crossed the street and went into the ramen place. They found a table and ordered one bowl each. But throughout the meal, Bokuto kept looking over at a mother, father, and child at the table across from them; his face grew more dejected each time he looked at them. The child was the same age as the one in the movie, and the couple even looked similar to the adult characters. Damn the odds of that, Akaashi thought. 

The food was delicious, and by the time they were leaving, Kuroo had pretty much forgotten about the movie. Bokuto, on the other hand, still had an undertone of sadness and gloom. Kuroo noticed Bokuto's lingering mood and ruffled the man’s hair, which was as droopy without gel as Bokuto's body language had become. "You can ride shotgun, Bo. And I bet you that Akaashi will hold your hand the whole way home!"

Bokuto gave a half smile and caught Akaashi's hand in his as the group walked out to where the car was parked. Akaashi pulled Bokuto closer and pulled the man’s arm over his shoulder, then wrapped his arm around around Bokuto's waist. One of the best ways to make Bokuto feel well cared for was to give him physical comfort when he was sad. 

Once they were on the way back to the apartment, Akaashi glanced over at Bokuto now and then. Their hands were joined and he steered with just his free one. Bokuto was staring out the window sadly for the whole care ride. Akaashi figured he would have to come up with a better way to comfort his husband once they got home. 

When they got to their apartment building, Kuroo and Kenma said their goodbyes and left in Kuroo's car. Bokuto and Akaashi walked up to their apartment hand in hand. Though it was more accurate to say that Akaashi dragged a sulky Bokuto along by the hand; the man was as wilted as ever. Once they were inside, Bokuto kicked off his shoes and walked over to the couch. He flopped onto it face down. Then put a pillow over his head with a loud sigh.

Akaashi put Bokuto's shoes next to the door after he slipped his own shoes off. Then he walked over and knelt down by the couch. He figured the best thing for Bokuto right now would probably be a nap. The sadness from the movie wouldn't feel so heavy once he was rested, considering that one of Bokuto's weaknesses was that his emotional control dropped significantly when he was tired. 

It had originally been Akaashi's plan to put on Bokuto's old high school uniform and then fuck his husband's brains out until he forgot all about that damn movie. But that could wait until after a nap. Akaashi gently rubbed a hand over Bokuto's back, wondering if the muscle pain was eased enough for him to sleep. "How’s your shoulder feeling now?"

A muffled response came from under the pillow on Bokuto’s head. "Feels way better. You give the best massages. You take such… good care of me…" Bokuto started crying again and held the pillow down over his head even harder. 

Akaashi gently rubbed his fingers up and down Bokuto's back. Bokuto was such a sweet, beautiful mess right now that Akaashi wanted to pick him up and hold him. He decided he would settle for Bokuto's head on his lap, so he stood up and pried the pillow out of Bokuto's hands so he could get it off the man’s head.

Bokuto mumbled incoherently a bit through his crying as Akaashi lifted his head up and carefully slipped himself under it, getting into a comfortable position to relax before letting the weight of Bokuto's head drop on his lap. Bokuto curled onto his side and pressed his face against Akaashi's stomach.

"I love you so much, Keiji," Bokuto said through sobs as his tears soaked Akaashi's shirt.

Akaashi smiled gently and started running a hand through Bokuto's hair. "I love you too, Koutarou. You're my whole world."

Bokuto let out a shaky sigh, then moved his hands between the couch and Akaashi's back to hug against him. The tears slowly stopped, and within a few minutes Bokuto had closed his eyes and fallen asleep; that was all thanks to the comforting feeling of Akaashi's fingers running through his hair. Akaashi knew that was one of the ways to care for a sad Bokuto.

Akaashi continued to run one hand through Bokuto's hair for several minutes, then moved it down to caress the side of Bokuto's face. The tear stained and sad expression Bokuto wore made Akaashi want to squish him in a hug. But he didn't want to disturb him, so he used his thumb to stroke Bokuto's forehead, cheek, and jaw a few times, until Bokuto finally smiled in his sleep. 

Once assured that his comfort had reached Bokuto, Akaashi let out a quiet and satisfied hum. He moved his hand to rest on Bokuto's side, then grabbed a book off of the end table next to the couch. He planned to let Bokuto nap in his lap for at least a couple hours, so he might as well finish reading the novel he started a few days ago. 

The sound of Bokuto's steady breathing was all that could be heard in the apartment as Akaashi quietly read his book. He put work and chores out of his mind; he let himself enjoy the closeness of his husband and the story he was reading. 

Akaashi would always give Bokuto loving and meticulous care, as if the whole world depended on it. Because his very own world, or rather the protagonist of his world, relied on him as much now as he had when they were in high school.

And Akaashi wouldn't have it any other way.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are two more fics that follow after this one linked below. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, for comments, and for kudos! I appreciate you all engaging with my self indulgent fics. :)


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